Thomas walbbe



1.1111111888. i BRAKE FOR RAILROAD GARS. No. 8,812. Patented Mar. 16, 1852.

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i THOMAS IVALBER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

RAILROAD-CAR BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,812, datedllvlareh 16, 1852.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS" VVALBER, of` the city, county, and State of New York, machinist, have invented, made, and applied to use certain new and useful Improvements in i the Construction of Brakes for Railroad-Can i riages, the object of'my improvements being to enable the engineer to stop the trainl almost instantly by means of a cylinder, into which steam is admitted, to operate on a the construction and operation of the same,

reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1, is a sectional elevation of the truck, steam cylinder, and brakes at one end of a car. Fig. 2 is a plan of the truck wheels and brakes. Fig. 3 is a section of the steam cylinder, and parts attached, in larger size; and Fig. 4 is a plan, from below, of the same.

The like marks of reference denote the same parts in all the figures.

A, is the platform or iioor of the car, connected by the drag pin or bolt 1, to the cross piece a, of the truck frame b, which receives by the ournal box d, the axle 2, of the wheels c, these parts, so far, may be of .any convenient size, shape, or proportions.

7, 7 are links iointed on the frame b, sup-` porting the brake blocks 8, one of which hangs against each side of each wheel, and

` each pair of blocks 8, are connected by brake bars, or followers, 3, 4, 5, and 6, see Fig. 2.

e, is va rod, or link, secured to the bar 3, by nuts, or similar means, so as to be adjusted, and connects with a link 9, which passes through holes in the follower 4, and is securely attached to the follower 5.

],is a bar or link similar to the bar e, secured to the follower 6, and connects to a link l0, passing through the follower 5, and attached permanently to the follower 4, these pass by each other, as seen in Fig. 2. Each follower is thus connected to the follower, the brake blocks of which act on the same side of the next wheels, and if any power is applied, to separate the followers 4 and 5, the brakes are simultaneously thrown on both sides of each wheel, the ad-f' vantage of this arrangement is, that` the wheel, being heldon both sides, there is not any unusual strain on the journal, but where only one brake is.v applied to yeach wheel, the strain, and resist-ance is on the axle and makes the boxes wear on one side.

To separate the followers 4, and 5, I use a wedge, or any similar means, and the wedge, shown herein, is actuated by steam from the engine or by a brake wheel moved by hand, acting either with the steam cylinder or separately. V

g, is a steam pipe running the whole length of each car and connected by couplings 11, which may be of india rubber, or similar l material, that will allow of the motion of the cars.

12, is a cock at each end of each car; this pipe g, is to be connected by any convenient means to the boiler of the locomotive, and the cock, at the end of the last car, is to be shut, and the engineer, by a cock or valve, allows the vsteam to pass at pleasure, which, passing through the pipes actuates the brakes, as hereafterdesoribed, the object being to place the whole train under the control of the engineer,`or conductor, so that the train can be stopped without requiring hand power, and the engineer can stop the train almost instantly in case of danger, either by the steam alone or by the steam and hand brakes combined.

13, is a branch pipe from the pipe g, pass-`` ing out near the center of each truck, having a cock 19, so that any one steam brake may be shut off; this pipe 13, connects to a stuffing box, or gland, 14, on the steam cylinder k, that is sustained by supports, to the cross piece within this cylinder L, is a piston and rod t', that carries on its lower end the wedge 7c, that enters between the brake followers 4 and 5.

15, are friction rollers on the followers 4 and 5, against which the wedge o-perates. If steam is now let into the pipe g, it forces the piston and rod i, downward, putting the brakes onto the wheels, as before described; and when the steam is shut off, it is to be allowed to exhaust by a cock or similar means; the piston is forced up again by springs opening on the brakes as usual or by any other convenient means so as to relieve the wheels from the operation of the brakes. The hand brake which I use is an auxiliary to this steam brake, and is intended for use, either with the steam or by itself, when steam is not used; and consists in the ordi? nary brake wheel Z, brake rod 16, supported by a bracket 17, as usual; but the rod 16 has aro-und it, near its lower end, a wheel m, firmly secured and fitted to take an endless chain 18, that passes around a nut n, secured in place by a support p, but allowed to rotate on the lower end of the steam cylinder h, around the pistonrod z', and a hollow screw 0, is tted around the pist-on rod i, and takes the nut n, the screw 0, is made with a key to take a slot in the piston rod. On steam being let into the cylinder L, the pisl ton rod z', slides through the screw 0, with-v out any impediment; and when the wheel Z, is turned,the chain 18, turns the nut n, and the screw `0, being kept from turning by its key taking the slot in the piston rod, is forced down, till it takes the top of the wedge lc, and then force it between the followers 4 and 5.

If it is desired to brake all the wheels of both trucks by one motion with the hand wheel Z,thenut n, may be made wider to receive a second endless chain running to the similar nut on the truck at the other end of the car, so that both wedges are made to operate on the brakes simultaneously, thus enabling one man to put the brakes onto the eight wheels at one operation.

I am aware that steam and compressed air have been employed to actuate the brakes of locomotives and railroad carriages; but I am not aware that any steam cylinder has been employed with the connecting pipe jointed on the vertical center line of the Therefore I claim as new and of my own invent-ion, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

. 1. 'Ihe arrangement of the followers 3, 4, 5,-and 6, with their brake blocks 8, rods e and f, and links 9 and 10, whereby the power operating to separate the followers 4, and 5,

throws the brake blocks 8, onto each side of each wheel, for the purposes and as described and shown.

2. I claim the steam piston and rod i, wedge c, nut n, and screw 0, in combination with the brakes 3, 4, 5 and 6, arranged and acting as described, whereby the said brakes can be actuated by steam from the locomotive or by hand as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this eleventh day of December one thousand eight hundred and fifty one.

THOS. WALBER.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. REED, LEMUnL W. SERRELL. 

